Modern Outdoor Fireplace: A Mason Dad's Symmetrical Stone Build in Ohio

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Step 1: Dig the Footings for the Fireplace

It started with a skid steer and an auger. The whole family pitched in to dig the footings for the fireplace, the oven and the side wall.

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Step 2: Lay Up the Stone Fireplace and Oven

Dad is a brick and block mason by trade, so he designed the symmetrical chimney himself and laid it up in earth-tone stone. The fireplace sits on one side, the oven on the other, with a firewood bay under the oven and a side wall running off to the right. Look closely at the top of the chimney: there are two flue tiles, one for each fire.

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Step 3: Cap It, Lay the Patio and Light Both Fires

Cement caps finish every step of the chimney, the hearth bench and the side wall. A new paver patio went down around it, and then came the first fires in the fireplace and the oven.

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Step 4: The Symmetrical Chimney Up Close

Up close you can see the mix of stone sizes and natural earth tones, the brick-lined firebox and the brick arch around the oven opening.

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Step 5: Pizza Night

Then the best part. Fresh homemade pizzas, baked right on the firebrick cooking surface next to the fire.

BeforeFinished

Drag across the photo (or just move your mouse) to go from a bare concrete slab to the finished fireplace, oven and paver patio.

Plan Yours

Modern Outdoor Fireplace Ideas From This Build

Make it symmetrical. A stepped chimney that matches left and right gives the whole build a calm, balanced, modern look.

Cap every edge. Flat cement caps on the chimney tiers, the hearth bench and the side wall give it crisp, clean lines.

Put the fireplace and the oven side by side. Two fires, one chimney, and a firewood bay right under the oven. See more outdoor fireplace with pizza oven ideas.

Add a capped side wall. It ties the build into the patio and gives you a place to set things down. For another stone fireplace and oven combo, see this stacked stone fireplace build.

Good Questions

Modern Outdoor Fireplace FAQ

What makes an outdoor fireplace look modern?

Clean lines, crisp edges and a simple, balanced shape. The Kurzhals fireplace gets its modern look from a symmetrical stepped chimney, flat cement caps on every tier and rectangular cut stone in natural earth tones.

Can you build a fireplace and a pizza oven together?

Yes. The Kurzhals family put the fireplace and the oven side by side in one stone structure. Each fire gets its own flue, and both run up through one shared chimney. See more outdoor fireplace with pizza oven ideas.

Which oven kit did the Kurzhals family use?

They built their oven with Mattone Barile Grande · Package 1, a firebrick barrel oven, then wrapped it in the same earth-tone stone as the fireplace.

Where should you store firewood on an outdoor fireplace?

Right under the oven. The Kurzhals family left an open bay below the oven opening, so dry firewood is always within arm’s reach of both fires.

Do you need to be a mason to build one?

No, but it helps! The Kurzhals family had a brick and block mason in the family to design the chimney. Our free plans walk you through the oven step by step, and you can finish it your way.

How long do you cure a new pizza oven?

Plan on about a week of small, gradually bigger fires to drive the moisture out. Skip it and the oven can crack. See our pizza oven curing guide for the full schedule.